Fresh Start
by zutaragirl123
Summary: Rose has had a tough life. Going through foster families her entire life. What happens when a certain family decides to take her? Will she be happy again? Will she fall in love with that one handsome guy living with her?
1. A New Home

**I don't own Vampire Academy or any of the characters! I write just for fun! Enjoy(:**

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Well this sucked. I mean just because I set a certain 17 year old dude named Erick Nelson, that so happened to be the son of the foster family I lived with, on fire because he tried to grab my boob doesn't mean they had to act like he was going to die. Like jeez why get over dramatic and put me in a jail cell for two nights.

"Rosemarie Hathaway! You're out on bail!" That's me, Rosemarie Hathaway, I'm seventeen years old and I'm a foster kid. I have long dark brown almost black hair that goes down to my waist and I have brown eyes that are beautiful that I could break most grown men with them. I also have a nicely tanned skin. Most say I look like an exotic goddess with my added high D cup boobs and nice ass and great curves. I mean who wouldn't think I'm a goddess. Anyway back to the present to see good old Stany scowling at me and let me out. Stan and I go way back to me getting thrown in here for the first time a year ago and we have gotten to know each other well too because the visits didn't stop. I walked out giving a wave to Stany who didn't bother to cuff me. No one at the police station did because I always seemed to get out of them in seconds, so they quit. I walked out to see none other than my favorite person, Alberta Petrov, who was my foster care social worker. She was an older woman that doesn't take bullshit and looks it, with how she looked like she had muscle with her slightly grey short cut hair.

"Well your lucky this time. They aren't pressing charges thanks to my convincing, but they don't want you back." She said stonily while ushering me ahead.

"Thank god. I hated it there. Bunch of religious freaks. And their son is a totally going to turn out as a pedophile." I commented smirking while walking out of the police station and into her car. She got in slamming the car door and starting it.

"That's not the point Rose! You can't keep doing this. It's your seventh house to two months. You haven't been able to stay in a house for more than a year since you were eleven. That's six years Rose! I'm running out of options here. I try to put you in nice homes with nice good families, but you always seem to do something to get kicked out. Rose I might have to stick you back in the orphanage because I running out of places for you." I mouthed dropped. 'No. Not there. Anywhere but there.' I thought. I had been abused at the first orphanage I went to and I was six or seven at the time when they put me in there. I told Alberta I couldn't go there.

"Rose. I can't keep doing this…" Alberta looked 10 times older with the stress that I added to her life. I felt bad because she was like the mother I lost. She made sure I was always in good homes and good people and went out of her way to make sure I had a good life. She could have easily dropped me off at the orphanage after so many months like most would have done, but she stuck by me for years. I was so ungrateful for what she had done for me.

"I'm sorry Alberta…I really am such a pain in the ass and I'm surprised you haven't given up on me. Please I'll do anything. Just don't put me in there…" I apologized and begged. She looked at me and then at the road in front of us while drove she looked deep in thought. Finally after awhile she sighed.

"Alright. This is your last chance Rose. I read about a family in Missoula, Montana a few hours from here looking to foster a teenage girl about your age. We haven't been able to find them one, but if you're willing than we can talk to them and see if they can take you in. No promises though." Alberta told me. I grinned and just nodded.

"I promise I won't screw it up." I said. Alberta smiled and took me over to my favorite burger joint in this town to help lighten the mood. This woman is one of a kind…

 ***A few weeks later***

"Hathaway!" I heard Alberta call when she entered her apartment. I've been staying with Alberta between all the foster homes I had been kicked out of since she's had me under her care.

"Yeah?" I called back with me flopped on the couch. She came in looking excited and glowing.

"Good news. We were able to have that one family take you in. You are to meet and move in with them two days from now." I grinned started doing my celebration butt dance that looked like I was high on crack. That night Alberta and I had our last dinner together and both went to bed early so I won't be as pissy in the morning.

The next morning I had all my things packed that I had accumulated over the years which wasn't that much. Only two duffle bags and a suitcase worth. Most of which were clothes and gifts Alberta had given me on my birthdays for years. I was in the car munching on some chocolate glazed donuts while thinking of the family I going to be living with. They were the Belikovs and they were a typical good natured family. A stay at home mother and a father who was a high end lawyer and the mother's mom living there as well. They had four children. Three girls and one boy and two of the girls had kids, one with a boy and girl and another with a girl. Both are married and out of the house and the son is moved out. The last girl is a year younger than me and still obviously lives there. The parents wanted to try out taking in a foster to be good nature people and the mom just wanted another child in the house.

"Rose we're here." Alberta said bringing me out of my thoughts. I almost gagged at how typical the house it was. A white picket fence cottage looking house that looked two stories and green grass with tiny kids playing out in the front. The perfect American family except they were Russian, but still you get it.

"Rose don't make that face. Act at least polite." Alberta pleaded. I just grunted and got out. I would act polite but only because Alberta asked. We walked up to the porch where the entire family was with my duffle bags in both hands and Alberta carrying my suitcase. They all got up and an older woman that I guessed would be my foster mom stepped forward.

"Hi I'm Olena Belikov and this is my husband Randall Ivashkov." She wrapped her arm around her husband that looked a little older than her. I remember Alberta saying that they had divorced at some point got married again, but they kept their names separate for privacy because of Randall's well known career.

"Hi. I'm Rose." I said shortly but still politely. Some younger looking people stood behind them with the children. The only person that caught my eye was the man that looked to be in his twenty's and had chocolate brown shoulder length hair and chocolate brown eyes. His features were very masculine and he was lean with muscle under the duster he was wearing which reminded me of those old stupid western movies.

"It's nice to meet you. This is my eldest Karolina and her ten year old son Paul and ten month old daughter Zoya." She said pointing to Karolina and her kids. She than pointed to another woman holding a baby "This is Sonya and her four month old daughter Galina." She than pointed to the man I had been checking out. "This is my only son Dimitri." She than pointed the younger girl. "And this is my youngest Viktoria." Suddenly I was tackled by a mass of hair.

"No! Alexander! Get off her!" The dog Alexander wouldn't stop licking my face and I groaned in protest. Of course they fucking have a dog. Finally Dimitri came over and got him off me. I saw Alberta trying not to laugh in the corner of my vision while I wiped the slobber off me.

"Sorry. That's unusual for Alexander to jump on people like that. He usually hates strangers." Olena apologized, but looked surprised.

"She's an unusual one." I heard an old boney voice say. I saw an old woman come over, but she didn't look frail like most though.

"Oh and this is my mother Yeva." Olena smiled. The old woman came over to me and took my hands in her rough strong ones.

"You have been through a lot. But you will go through even more." She said in a cryptic tone. 'What does she mean more?' I thought.

"Anyway. Dimitri can take up your bags and we can get you settled in. Viktoria why don't you show her around the house first?" Viktoria smiled and took me by the hand and hauled me into the house with me looking at Alberta who shrugged and Dimitri went to grab my bags.

"This is our kitchen where you usually find Mama and Babushka in here and this is the living room where Papa is half the time with Dimka sometimes." She pointed to a big kitchen to the right that had modern appliances and styled in a way that was kind of homey looking. The living room was in front of you when you entered and was the same with pictures all over and earthy tone colors that made you feel at home with a big plasma screen TV. She pointed to a door on the left and explained, "That is mama and papa's room and the door next to it is papa's office." She took me down the hall that had a rustic look that went well with the homey earth tones.

"The first door on the right is the first bathroom and only one on this floor besides the one attached in my parent's room and the first door on the left is the laundry room. The next door on the right is Mama's quilting room, but we call it her hobby den. The last door on the left is Babushka's room. Finally the door leading to the garage is at the end of the hallway." She said and took me back down the hallway and went forward to the stairs that was across from the hallway and went up them with me in tow. Another hallway popped up when we reached the top.

"Okay so the first door on the right is basically the rec/play room which has all the neat video games, game systems, a pool table, air hockey, and foosball. The second door on the right is Karo's room when she stays over and next to it is Paul's room and next to Paul's room is Dimitri's when he stays over and the first bathroom up here is next to him. On the right side is my room and Sonya's room is next to me again when she stays over. Next to hers is the second bathroom and last but not least your room is the last door." She got done explaining and opened my door to see it really white and boring with my luggage sitting on the four poster canopy queen sized bed.

"It's not much, but we decided that we didn't want to decorate it until you got here. That way we can go shopping and pick things out that you like and paint the bedroom walls the way you want them and stain the furniture to go with it. You know…to make you feel at home." Viktoria smiled. My mouth dropped at what she said. No family has ever done that for me. The families just put me in the room they had available and I just added things to it here and there. 'To make you feel at home she said…' I thought.

"Anyway let's go downstairs so we can meet up with the rest of the family." I followed her down to the living room where everyone and Alberta were sitting. Alberta saw me and smiled and I saw on the fireplace stone raised floor.

"There you are Rose. Now I have to discuss with them what I discussed with you before we left for here." I just nodded and groaned internally. Alberta turned to the entire Belikov family.

"So as you know Rose is quite the troublemaker so to save the trouble instead of getting kicked out I told her that if she doesn't follow these rules than I will be taking her out. First is that she has to go to counseling twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, second she has to have a C average in school and keep a 3.0 GPA, third she can't not get in trouble with the law and finally she has to do at least two extracurricular activities and have a job in a few months. She has to act responsible to live here and I need you to enforce these rules too." I hated going to counseling because once people found out and the families found out they assumed that I was a mental case or I had anger issues and I got made fun of for being 'messed up in the head' or being a 'serial killer' and the families would treat me like I was special ed and so would the school.

"You don't like these rules?" Olena noticed my scowl.

"I hate counseling. That's only rule I hate." I said angrily.

"Rose has done counseling for years on and off. The thing is it causes trouble at school for her because it leads bullying in which some cases where the school has treated her like either special ed or families have assumed she is 'messed up in the head', a soon to be 'serial killer', or she had anger issues. All of which are not true. She goes to counseling because of traumatic events in her past and does suffer from PTSD and Bipolar Depression in which she is supposed to be taking medication, but I need you to update her meds if you can." I scowled stood up and walked off. Alberta didn't look surprised and everyone else was.

"I'm not a pill popper. I don't have mental issues." I said icily.

"I never said that Rose. You just have-" I cut her off hearing this a bunch of times.

"I just have experiences I need to work past. Yeah I've heard that a thousand times." I growled and took off upstairs into my room and slamming my door than throwing myself on the bed.

 ***Downstairs***

"I'm sorry. She hates talking about her Depression and PTSD. It makes her feel like she's a mental case." Alberta apologized.

"Don't worry about. If I were in her position I'd react the same. We've seen her records and hospital records and therapy records. We understood the circumstances of taking her in. We know she might have episodes or mania or depression and we're trying to prepare for that. We don't know what happened to her, but all she need is someone to treat her like she's normal and make her feel a part of the family and she mostly needs support. We'll be all of that and more. She's just a sweet girl that was traumatized and formed into what people saw her as. She just needs people to see her for who she really is." Olena explained calmly.

"Rose is like a daughter to me. So please keep to what you say. All I want for her is to have a happy and successful life. I'll be checking on her every month or so. I'll let you know ahead of time when I'm coming to check in." Alberta said. She said goodbye to them and left internally wishing Rose good luck.

Back with the Belikovs they were talking about Rose and her situation. "Mama are you sure this is a good idea? I mean she has so much negatives to her." Sonya said. "Everything will be fine Sonya. She has had a rough upbringing and suffers from it." Olena explained. Karoline butted in, "What about the children? Will they be safe around her if she has an episode?" Olena sighed at her two eldest and then looked at her husband "Rose isn't a threat to us." But Sonya and Karoline were both going on about. Suddenly Dimitri slammed is hand on the table making everyone be quiet.

"Dimitri!" Olena scolded. For once Dimitri ignored her and looked at his two older sisters. Everyone noticed that both he and Viktoria hadn't said anything throughout the discussion.

"You need to stop. I understand that you have children, but you're doing the same thing the past foster families had done to her. You're treating her like a mental case. She isn't and you are being bitches. I may not know her, but I'm not going to judge her either until I get to know her. If you don't like her than don't bother coming around when she's around just so you can make her feel worse." He stated angrily and simply sat back but had the look that said 'test me I dare you'. He may be the youngest to the two, but when it came to telling them off or losing his temper with them they simple shut up and listened. He rarely lost his temper or told off someone angrily so when it did happen you best listen to him.

"He's right you know. When I told her that we were waiting for her so we could decorate her room the way she wanted and make it feel like this was her home, she looked like she was about to cry. I could tell that no one had ever done that for her. She just needs a family." Viktoria added.

"We've made our points and concerns now let's move passed them and learn to accept her. Now let's go to bed. We have a long day tomorrow." Olena and Randall went to the room and the rest of the children followed suit. Soon enough the house was quiet with everyone asleep.

 ***Early in the morning***

There was a loud pounding on the door and I groaned looking around hoping this was all a dream. Nope. I really am stuck with the Russian winter savages. The pounding kept going and I was getting really irritated so I threw the closest thing to me, my brush, at the door.

"Get up ленивую задницу!(lazy ass)" I heard Viktoria yell outside the door.

"Kahretsin, beni yalnız bırakın! (Fuck, leave me alone)" I growled at her. She finally stopped and I heard footsteps retreat from my door. I sighed in happiness and cuddled into my bed. Suddenly the door opened and my blankets were pulled away from me and I was dragged out of bed, landing on the hardwood floor.

"Kim yaptı. Onları öldüreceğim. (Who did it. I'm going to kill them.)" I growled and turned around to see Viktoria, Dimitri and Randall standing there.

"Kalkma vakti. Uyanık değil tek kişi sensin. (Time to get up. You're the only one not awake.)" Randall spoke fluent Turkish. I decided to switch it up.

"Bha mi a 'cadal. Mar sin, leig leam cadal. (I was sleeping. So let me sleep.)" I spoke smiling. Randall looked unimpressed and he pointed to me and then the bathroom right next to me.

"Chan eil dol suas agus a 'faighinn deiseil. (No get up and get ready.) By the way, nice try. I may be a lawyer, but I traveled for years around the world and I know eight languages fluently including Scots Gaelic and Turkish. Nothing will get by me, but I'm impressed that you speak two languages fluently." Randall smirked while looking bored at the same time which I don't know how he can. I grumbled and got up and grabbed a towel Viktoria was holding out for me and stormed into the bathroom with my spandex and tank top, slamming the door.

I turned on the shower and waited for the right temperature while stripping and getting in. I used what I assumed was Viktoria's shampoo and conditioner and used the wash cloth that came with the towel and body wash. I got out and dried off and grabbed my dirty clothes, making my way out of the bathroom and into my room where people had vacated. I went to my bags and took out my off the shoulder red print romper and with a stapless black lacey bra and lacey cheekies under it. I grabbed my hair dryer, make up, and other beauty accessories into the bathroom and got ready. I decided on a simple light brown smokey eye with a simple wing-tipped eyeliner make up with bold red lipstick. I put my hair into a messy fishtail braid and got into my brown caged heels. I walked down the stairs with my phone, wallet and sunglasses, into the kitchen where everyone was waiting for me.

"Rose! You look amazing!" Viktoria gasped. I smile and took the last seat between her and Sonya, who was tense near me, and Dimitri was across from me and Yeva to his right and Karolina to his left. Paul was to her right and Zoya in her arms while Olena was at the head of the table to the left and Randall to the right. They all started eating and I followed along ate, showing off my appetite and I took seconds…and thirds…and maybe a little bit of fourths…

"Goodness gracious. I though Dimitri used to eat us out of the house when he was growing. I going to need to cook more portions with you living here." Olena babbled and started cleaning up with the help of Karolina and Sonya. Viktoria jumped out of hers and grabbed me and started looking me and down and going in circles that made me feel a little shy.

"You dress as if you're a model showing off a new fashion! You gorgeous in this!" Viktoria gushed. I just giggled and smiled.

"Well yeah. I like to dress according to fashion because honestly I love shopping and fashion." I stated.

"Well as Vika says, you are gorgeous in that." Olena smiled. I blushed and quietly thanked her.

"Boys! Stop watching ice hockey and let's go! We have to go shopping!" Olena called out to Dimitri, Randall and Paul. They all groaned and got up, turning off the flat screen while they were at it.

"Sonya and Karolina you probably should get home. Your husbands should be back if a few hours from their business trip right?" Olena asked.

"Yeah we should get going. Come one Paul. Say goodbye." Karolina told him. Paul hugged his grandparents, aunt and uncle saying goodbye to them all. He came up to me and smiled.

"I can't wait play with you. I bet your going to be an awesome new aunt!" He hugged me and ran out the door with Karolina and Sonya behind him carrying their baby girls and saying goodbye to us.

"Mama, we're going shopping. Do you need anything?" Olena asked Yeva, but all Yeva did was sit in the chair knitting. All she did was mumble something in Russian and shake her head.

"Alright then. We'll be back later mama. Let's take the SUV." Olena said walking out the door with all of us behind her. We all packed into the SUV and headed out. I was sitting in between Dimitri and Viktoria and Randall was driving while Olena was in the passenger seat.

"How are we going to shop if there isn't a mall nearby?" I asked. Viktoria giggled and looked out the window.

"This may be a small town be have pretty nice stores here. Their cute and believe it or not we have one store that keeps up with ALL the latest fashions that the Rinaldi's run. My friend Lissa works with them too. You'll love Lissa though she is the sweetest thing and if you ever need someone to talk to then she's your girl. You can talk to me too, but she might understand better what you're going through. She lost her parents and brother when she was twelve from a drunk driver crashing into their car. She's the only one that survived. So if you ever need to talk to her you can. She's a trustworthy person." Viktoria squeezed my hand.

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." I gave her a small smile and the rest of the car ride was silently peaceful. We got to the store in town and Olena immediately went in a nice little furniture store. We entered and I saw Olena talking to a couple maybe in their early thirties and the women had blue eyes once I got up close and short auburn hair that looked cute and a man that had brown hair, blue eyes as well. Olena turned and introduced me to the two.

"Rose, this is Sonya and Mikhail Tanner. They own this furniture store and home decorations. Mikhail makes the furniture and Sonya does the home decorations." I smiled and quietly said hello to them.

"So good to meet you Rose! Olena has been so excited the past two days, almost everyone knows you're here." Sonya giggled. I noticed she was pregnant and I gasped. I'm a sucker for baby bellies. I don't really want kids but I do like baby bellies.

"Can I touch your belly?" I asked with excitement. Sonya nodded and I touched her belly and I felt a small kick under my hand. I giggled like a little girl and stood straight again.

"So Rose what's your favorite color?" Olena asked. "Red." I answered. Sonya smiled brightly.

"I have the perfect idea to create a masterpiece of your room. We could do a red and white bed set with red canopy bed curtains. We should also do black night stands, dresser and some other furniture." Sonya said excitedly.

"That would be perfect! What do you think Rose?" Olena asked

"Sounds awesome. Just don't go too overboard, I'm a pretty simple person." I said.

"Oh! We could keep the white walls and do red lotus flowers and lotus tree branches." Olena looked at me asking for approval and I nodded.

"We have so much shopping to do!" Olena and Sonya took off to find the stuff needed for my room. I might have smiled a bit at her enthusiasm too…

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 **Thanks for reading this! Let me know if you like it! Review please!(: Have a great day!(:**


	2. Your The Only One

**I don't own VA or anything just the story line! Anyway, please enjoy! I don't own Antidote by Faith Marie.**

Rose POV

 _There was so much screaming. 'Why does mommy and daddy hate each other' I thought as I hid behind the wall where they couldn't see me or hear me. They're always yelling why are they yelling! I would always notice dad was gone and mom was always crying and then she would yell at me to leave. But today was different._

" _You don't think I know about that man you bring into my household! Around MY daughter!" I heard my father yell._

" _What and you can bang those secretaries at work?! I'm not stupid! I should have left you years ago! I'm done! I'm taking Rosemarie and we're leaving!" I heard a loud smack and a thud._

" _Like hell you are! You can leave! Rose stays with me!" I heard Baba yell. I heard my mommy get up._

" _You think you'll get her ever after I tell the court what you really do for a living! You'll never get to see her! I'll make sure of it!" I heard my mommy throw something. I cried and tried to stop the noise with my hands over my ears._

" _Oh? What about that little pill problem of yours? How would the court like it if they found out your pill addiction?" My father chuckled darkly._

" _You bastard! I'll leave with her one way or another! Over my dead body you'll have her!" I heard her leave the room and trudge up the stairs without noticing me against the wall._

" _Rose! Rose! Where are you! We're leaving honey!" Mommy yelled. I saw my daddy come in and look down at me. He crouched next to me and stroked my streaked face._

" _I'm sorry you had to hear that My little Rose. Know that mommy and I love you no matter how much we dislike each other. You are the best thing that happened to us. Now I'm going to talk to mommy and then you and I can go on a trip to Turkey. Daddy's birthplace remembers we went there before to see grandma and grandpa before they went to heaven?" I nodded and clutched onto him._

" _Baba…I don't want you to leave…Please don't leave me…I want to go with you! Not mommy!" I cried harder._

" _I promise my little Rose. I will never leave you." He whispered to me. I heard my mommy come down the stairs and I was pried away from my Baba. I wailed and reached out for him._

" _Babaaaaa!" I cried for him while he growled at mommy._

" _She is coming with me! You won't see her ever!" She started walking towards the door with me flailing in her arms._

" _Baba! Baba! I want you! Baba!" I screamed and wailed._

" _Put her down Janine! She doesn't want to go with you!" Baba yelled at Mommy. She just ignored him and went to fumble with the door, but Baba grabbed her and took me out of her arms while she fell to the floor. Her eyes were red rimmed and glossy; dilated her pupils were huge._

" _You're not going anywhere with her. Your high off your mind and aren't in the right mind to leave. Go to bed and sober up." My father warned. She just shook suddenly pulled out a knife and lunged at Baba. Baba quickly through me on the sofa near us and grabbed mommy's wrist and I heard a crack. Mommy went to get to me, but suddenly there was a loud bang and she stopped. She looked straight at me and dropped. Red liquid started to surround her head and I cried. Baba walked over and turned her over and closed her eyes. He sighed and walked over to me and picked me up._

" _I'm sorry baby girl. I didn't want you to see this." He whispered to me. There were loud sirens and suddenly the door came off._

" _Freeze! Put the child down and put your hands up!" Three big men came in with guns and whimpered into my daddy's shoulder._

" _Daddy…Don't go…" I cried. I felt him hug me and set me down._

" _Rose…I promise when I get out I will take you home. We can live like a big happy family. Just you and me with all the animals in the world. Okay? For now, daddy must go bye bye. I'm not breaking my promise to you. I won't ever leave you. I'll be in your heart where I'll always be. You'll never be alone." He took off a necklace that looked like an eye and put on me._

" _As long as you have this I'm always with you. It's called a Nazar, it keeps bad things away. It'll protect you until I come and get you." He said and kissed my forehead while the three men took him away while I cried and begged him to say._

" _BABA!"_

I gasped and woke up in a cold sweat. I hand went my neck where my Nazar used to be. I let out a shake breathe and reached into the nightstand drawer next to me where it sat. I looked at it and slammed the drawer shut. _'No one needs to know. Remember. Don't trust anyone.'_ I thought. I got up and walked out of the room quietly; I went downstairs into the kitchen to get a drink. I grabbed a glass after rummaging through the cabinets and turned on the faucet. I took a drink and was deep in thought when the light suddenly came on. I gasped, and the glass fell from my hand on to the floor shattering in a loud sound. I saw Viktoria looking at me startled and frantic.

"I'm so sorry Rose! I didn't mean to scare you. Goodness I have a bad habit of doing that." I just let out a shaky breath and smiled.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shatter the glass. I'll clean it up." By now Olena and Randall had come out; as well as Dimitri who had stayed the night. I bent down to clean up the glass when I accidently cut the middle of my hand on a piece that stuck out a little higher than the others. I hissed and naturally looked to see it bleeding decently. My vision started blurring and my breathing got more rapid. _'Oh god. It's blood. It's too much. Too much blood.'_ I started panicking. I felt someone grab me and pick me up and set me down on something soft.

" _Rose."_ I heard an echo, but I couldn't focus. I was so far gone.

" _Rose!"_ I heard again and this time I felt someone hugging me and stroking my hair until my vision became clearer and my breathing evened. I looked to see Dimitri had taken me into the living room away from the glass.

"Rose. You with me?" He asked, and I nodded slightly. Olena came over to me with a first aid kit and sat on the living room table.

"I'm going to clean up your cut okay? Why don't you talk to Dimitri while I do it?" She smiled sweetly, and I nodded. I turned my head while she started to clean my cut. I winced at the pressure but kept my focus on Dimitri.

"So, I'll be taking you to school on Monday. Mama and Papa wanted to give you a week to get used to it here before they threw you into a social warfare battle zone. Mama would usually be the one to take you, but her and Babushka will be out of town with Sonya and Karolina on a spa get away thing. Viktoria would, but she doesn't have a car. Papa works early in the morning, so you and Vika are stuck with me." He distracted me from the light pain coming from my hand.

"Oh, that reminds me. I'm going out with some friends tomorrow; Mia Rinaldi, Lissa Dragomir, Christian Ozera, Mason Ashford, Eddie Castile, Adrian Ivashkov, our cousin, and Sydney Sage. It's a big group I know, but everyone is super nice in their own way. Lissa is super nice and kind in general, while Adrian and Mia are kind of the flirts' slash risky kind of people, Mason and Eddie are like two peas in a pod; they are basically the class clowns of the school and they are super laid back. Sydney and Christian are kind of the quiet ones in their own separate ways. Christian comes off kind of the moody and depressed with a bad attitude, but under all that he's nice once he starts to think of you as a friend. Though his nice is being snarky and sarcastic, but don't take offense to it. Sydney comes off as indifferent and doesn't take to strangers that quickly, but once you're her friend she is one of the best you'll have. Christian and Lissa are dating, as well as Adrian and Sydney. Mia is kind of all over the place with guys not in the bad way, but just in 'haven't found the right one' way. Finally, Mason and Eddie. They dance around each other a lot. They don't want to ruin their friendship, so they act like there is no tension of them wanting each other. Anyway, you'll get along with them and they'll love you. At least you'll have some people you know before you come to school." Viktoria rambled. I smiled and told her I'd be glad to come.

"Alright all done! It wasn't too deep, so it'll take a couple of days to heal. We just have to keep it clean and constantly dressed and wrapped." Olena smiled sweetly.

"Anyway, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but why were you up this early? It's almost two o' clock in the morning." Viktoria asked before she could even think. I just shook my head and looked at the floor.

"Nightmare. That's all." I quietly mumbled.

"Must have been a hell of a nightmare for you t-" Dimitri grabbed her and smiled at me.

"We should be getting to bed now. So please excuse us. I'm right across from you if you need me, ok? Have a better night Roza." He says while walking up the stairs with Viktoria in tow.

"I think we should all head to bed. Have better dreams Rose." Everyone left, and I sighed shakily. I walked up to my room and pulled the drawer out on my nightstand. I gently caressed the Nazar and picked it up, then got into bed crying myself to sleep. Wishing I could have been born in a different time and place.

*Morning*

"Rose! Wake up! Mama says she needs you downstairs! It's almost breakfast time anyway!" I woke up to Viktoria yelling through my door. I threw my pillow at the door as a response. I heard her feet pound down the hall and stairs while I got up and threw on some baggy sweats and a baggy sweater hiding all evidence of the repressed depression on my arms. I hadn't slept at all last night. Night terror after night terror after I closed my eyes. Seeing so much blood made me feel so ill. I threw my hair into a ponytail and walked downstairs seeing everyone laughing, Viktoria pouting at a comment made by Dimitri. Olena noticed me first and smiled then frowned when she saw my pale face and dark bags under my eyes.

"Rose! I have some things for you! Why don't you come to the kitchen? I need some help with breakfast anyway." Olena nodded towards the kitchen and walked while I followed noticing everyone stayed where they were. I walked in and saw Olena holding a bag while inspecting me.

"This is all your medication. I know you don't like them, heck I don't even like looking at them, but if they help you then I'll give them a chance. I'll go through them for you. Your depression meds you must take them twice, one during the day and one at night, night terror meds are once a night, appetite meds are before every meal, and anxiety is once a day." I felt nauseous looking at them all. I grabbed the anxiety, antidepressants and appetite, grabbing a cup of water Olena handed me and took them out swallowing them. I washed them down with the water and Olena put them all in the kitchen cupboard. We walked back into the dining room with breakfast and sat down. Everyone chattered about anything and everything while I stayed quiet and nodded when someone asked me something. I finished without going for seconds and excused myself choosing to get ready for the day. I walked upstairs and into my room, grabbing a pair of blue jeans and a long sleeve blood red long sleeve. I got in the shower and did the necessities before I got out and got dressed. I left the bathroom and into my room where Vika was laying on my bed.

"You ready to go? Their all waiting at the bowling alley. I promise you'll like them!" I nodded, and I followed her downstairs.

"Dimitri! Can you give us a ride to the bowling alley since you're on your way to work?" Viktoria asked while Dimitri nodded, grabbing his keys and duster. We followed saying our goodbyes to the others and I whistled when I saw the car we were walking to.

"1970 Ford Mustang Mach I. V-8 and four speed manual transmission? Suede leather interior. Pure black exterior simple, but gorgeous." I complimented.

"You speak car?" Viktoria said with a grimace. We got in with me in the back and Viktoria in the passenger seat.

"I guess going from home to home you learn something from every family. There was this family before the last. They had a son that wasn't so well behaved. Taught me a lot, but I wasn't really a great kid. I ran away a lot and got into some deep trouble. I learned how to hotwire and to build an engine through the years. Anyway, he taught me everything there was to know about cars. It's something that actually enjoyed over my four years of it." I explained while looking out the window.

"That's cool. Dimitri runs a mechanic shop in town, well the only one, but he brings cars by all the time! There was once he brought over this nice Camaro and oh god it had speed!" Viktoria giggled.

"Really? A mechanic? I wouldn't have expected you to be one with a star lawyer father and a stay at home mom. No offense." I stated bluntly. He shifted and spoke after he made a turn into the parking lot of a nice-looking bowling alley.

"Yeah. It was my friend Ivan who turned me to it. He has wealthy parents and they had lots of nice cars he liked to take out and wreck when we were younger. Anyway, he couldn't tell his parents and it's a small town so taking it to the mechanic wasn't an option. So, I read up on cars and fixed them for him. After years of doing I grew to like it and decided at eighteen to go to college and get my business, along with my auto mechanic degree and certifications to become a mechanic and opened the shop here in town. I just lost a guy at the shop and I know that you need a job so your free to work with me and the guys. Ivan, Christian, Sydney, and few others mine and Ivan's age work there so you'll know a few people. Think about it for the time until school." He gave me a small smile and parked. Viktoria got out and pushed the seat forward letting me out. I closed the door and smiled shyly.

"Thank you. For the offer. I'd like to work for you. Actually, can I start soon?" I asked.

"Yeah if you want you can start Saturday. I'll come by and take you there. Alright I'll see you girls later text or call if you need a ride." We waved, and he took off. I heard a loud squeal and saw a blond with short hair attack Viktoria in a bear hug.

"I missed you so much Vika!" She exclaimed.

"I missed you too Mia." Viktoria giggled. They separated, and everyone immediately looked at me. I tried to make my face as blank as possible.

"Oh guys! This is Rose Hathaway. She's the one staying with us. Rose this is Mia." She pointed the blond from a second ago. "Lissa." Pointed a nicely dressed blond with a kind smile. "Sydney." Another blond with a gold cross necklace. "Christian." A black-haired guy smirked at me. "Mason and Eddie." A red head with a goofy grin and a brunette with the same expression waved. "And finally, Adrian." A nicely dressed guy smoking a cigarette lazily grinned at me.

"Anyway. Let's go in!" Viktoria said while walking into the bowling alley. We followed with me all the way in the back and got our shoes and went to our reserved lane. We got into mid game and everyone was laughing even me. Everyone made me feel welcome; Lissa was always keeping conversation with me along with Mia, Christian I found out is a perfect bickering partner and future partner in crime for me, and Adrian was someone I could make snide comments at and him not get offended. Sydney even talked a little about working with Dimitri and them when she found out he offered me the empty position. By the end we were walking out and talking about school and how they'll make sure I get through my first day no problem.

"Anyway, we should get going mama is making _Borsch with black bread and tea cakes to celebrate Rose getting her job with Dimka." I looked at her confused and she just giggled._

"In our family nothing stays hidden that long. Dimka told Ivan and Ivan told his mom and our moms are best friends, so she told our mom and so mom is making a big celebratory dinner and dessert." She explained.

"Anyway, can you call Dimka really quick? Let him know we're ready to be picked up." I nodded and took her phone that was held out and went through it until I found Dimitri's name and pushed it to call. It rang two times before he picked up.

"Hello?" I heard his raspy voice which made me stop thinking for a moment.

"Uh…Dimitri? It's Rose. Um, we are done at the bowling alley, so we need a ride." I heard a loud clang and a foreign curse.

"Uh, I'm kind of behind here. Can you guys come to the shop? I'll be ready by the time you guys get here. Tell Vika and she know where to go." I heard a chuckle, and something being thrown.

"Ivan! Don't throw your empty oil can at me! I get you want to go home but throwing things won't help! I have to go Rose, I'll see you soon." He said goodbye and hung up. I gave the phone back to Vika who got done talking with the others.

"Dimitri told us to walk to the shop because he was behind." I told her, and she nodded. We said our goodbyes and started walking to the shop that wasn't that far. We walked up to the shop and went inside.

"Dimka!" She yelled and walked through the door.

"Hey Vika! I am finishing up here and then we can head out." Dimitri said as he was under the hood of a car with a tall blond standing next to him.

"Ooh, who's the pretty girl?" The blond noticed and grinned.

"Her name is Rose. Last time I checked I was the only one that got that tone of voice." Viktoria glared at him and he chuckled. He wrapped his arms around her and dropped a kiss on her head.

"Of course, not beautiful. You're my one and only girl, plus I have a feeling that she has a different taste in men." He glanced at Dimitri and then me grinning. I turned slightly red and Vika just smacked his arm.

"Be nice Ivan." She giggled, and I suddenly felt like it was too intimate for me so I walked over to Dimitri. I noticed him fiddling with the spark plugs on a 98 Honda Civic.

"Spark plugs bad?" I asked. Dimitri glanced over at me and nodded.

"Yeah, that's understatement. Their bad. I've been fiddling with it for the last thirty minutes, but I won't be able to get it done tonight. So, I'll try tomorrow." He wiped his hands off and walked with me following towards the front reception area.

"It's a nice place you have here." I said. He yelled at Ivan to turn off the lights in the garage and he went into the office and grabbed some stuff. He turned off the lights and walked out of the building turning off the lights and locking it up. We headed to his car and Ivan to his while saying our goodbyes. We got into the car and went home. We pulled up and walked into the house with Olena greeting us all with hugs.

"Oh I'm so happy for you Roza!" She exclaimed. I smiled and went into the kitchen taking my medication for the night. I walked out to see everyone at the dinner table and sat down with them. We laughed and after dinner had Russian Tea Cakes and tea. We hung out for a while before everyone decided to head to bed. I walked upstairs when I noticed the game room open and immediately saw a piano. My fingers twitched a little before I shook my head and headed to bed. I got into my sweats and tank then got into bed falling into my dark dreams.

 _Rose…Rose…ROSE! I saw my mother's bloody face and her scream._

I gasped and yelled out in panic. I sat there for a minute or so before getting up and my body walked into the game room over to the piano and ran a scale before finding a tune that I only ever played once, but yet it was so familiar to me.

 _Finding refuge in my own lies  
"How are you"  
"I'm doing alright"  
Small talk is a great disguise  
Just let me be just let me be  
Empty thoughts start to crowd my mind  
Am I only living, living to survive?  
Shake it off but I've lost the drive  
Just let me be just let me be  
Let me be, okay_

I increased the tempo and went into the chorus. I felt for once that I was free from all my past and night terrors.

No one knows what goes on up inside my head  
There's a new kind of poison and it's starting to spread  
No one knows what goes on up inside my head  
They don't think I need help  
But I'm scaring myself  
I just want to be OK  
I just want to be OK

By now I was slightly crying and hadn't noticed a tall figure in the door way.

All the voices in my head are coming to life  
They're getting louder and I'm, I'm terrified  
How do you run from your own mind?  
Is this what I've become?  
Take it back what have I done

No one knows what goes on up inside my head  
There's a new kind of poison and it's starting to spread  
No one knows what goes on up inside my head  
They don't think I need help  
But I'm scaring myself  
I just want to be OK  
I just want to be OK

I hated that I felt like I had all this bottled up, but know one knew. Of all the pain I had been through and held in.

 _No one knows what goes on up inside my head  
There is a new kind of poison and starting to spread  
But I didn't think the antidote was in my hands  
I can change my plans I can change my plans  
I tried to find my reflection on the glass  
But all I ever saw were the things I lacked  
All the smudges on the mirror made me go insane  
All I ever thought I was  
Was a mistake_

No one knows what goes on up inside my head;  
There's a new kind of poison and it's starting to spread  
No one knows what goes on up inside my head  
Up inside my head  
Up inside my head

I finished and started crying when I felt someone wrap their arms around me. I turned into the warm chest and sobbed into their chest. I heard mumuring in Russian which I realized was Dimitri. I slowly calmed down and I just stayed in his arms for a while. Finally, he spoke and stroked my tear stained cheek.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to but know that if you do need to talk I'm here to listen. What is said between you and me will stay between you and me." Dimitri gave me a reassuring smile.

"I-I can tell you, but it might take me a bit to get through it. Only Alberta and the people that were there know about it. It's hard for me to let someone in, but it's eating me away. I can't sleep, and I can barely force myself to eat. I need someone that won't judge me. You've, since the beginning, have never judged me or asked questions. You don't didn't give me pity and let me work for you when you barely know me. This stays here okay?" He nodded and rubbed my back showing me comfort.

"I was born into a high-middle class family. We weren't wealthy, but we had nice things." I swallowed hard and let out a trembling gasp. He rubbed my back even more giving me a reassured squeeze on my hand.

"From as far as I can remember my parent's fought all the time. They looked like the perfect family, but behind closed doors my father was a workaholic that came home late all the time. He and my mother were both unfaithful always sleeping with other people. My father never brought anyone home not wanting me to be around it. My mother on the other hand had a pill addiction and like to bring strange men home while baba wasn't home. She would always yell and scream at me if I saw something I wasn't supposed to and lock me in my room until my father found out and that caused another level of fighting. My father did a lot of dirty dealings under the rug of his owned business. One night he came home to my mother high on pills and saw a man leaving. He grew angry and they started to yell. My mother threatened to take me away and my father wasn't having it. She went upstairs to find me while the entire fight I had been hiding behind the wall they were arguing on the other side. My father knew I was there and told me that she won't take me away and I remember telling him that I wanted to stay with him. My mom ripped me out of my father's arms when he hugged me and took off towards the door. I screamed for him and snapped. He took me out of my mother's arms and shoved her to the floor, but she came at him with a knife and he threw me onto the couch and broke her wrist. She was still high on pills, but she went to grab me and-and-" I sobbed loudly while Dimitri comforted me.

"He-He shot her. Point blank in the head. There was so much blood. He came over to me and said he was sorry. The policemen came in and took him under the account of Voluntary manslaughter. He gave me a family necklace called the Nazar and he told me he'd be back one day. That he will always love me. I haven't heard from him since. From what Alberta told me, he could be out any year now. My father was never a bad man. He did bad things, but he only wanted to protect me and to an extent my mother no matter how much he hated her. I was five when this happened. After that I got thrown into an orphanage for a while because I didn't have any family. It was the first and the last. I was neglected, beaten, and starved by them before Alberta came along and took me in. She put me in foster family after foster family. No one wanted a troublesome child who couldn't seem to behave and had so many mental issues. Screaming from a night terror, having to force me to eat, sleep, take my pills, not cut myself or commit suicide. I was a burden to everyone. Alberta almost gave me back to the orphanage when she ran out of families after the last ones I set the son in my grades hair on fire for groping my boob. You guys are my last chance. If I mess up, I'm gone." I slowly calmed down.

"Roza. You are so much more than a burden. You're so beautiful it hurts and I'm sorry you had to go through that at a young age. No child should go through that abuse both physically, emotionally, and mentally. Your so strong for getting this far when most would have given up. You may take pills, you may have scars, you may have issues, but we don't care. We love you for you and we wouldn't want you any other way. I help you and help fill that void. Don't forget you have me and my family behind you no matter." He stroked my cheek and kissed my forehead.

"Let's get you to bed okay?" I nodded tiredly and he picked me up bridal style and carried to my room. He laid me in my covers and went to stand straight, but I held onto him and whimpered.

"C-Can you stay for a while. Just until I fall asleep." I begged and he nodded slipping between the covers holding me.

"Thank you." I mumble as I doze off, but not before hearing.

"Anything for you Roza…" He whispered.


End file.
